College Bound: Moving to Texas A&M

May 8, 2013

If you are moving to Texas A&M, congratulations on your decision to become an Aggie! If you don’t know, an Aggie is a student at Texas A&M. TAMU is the largest university in Texas, and offers ample student life activities that span from athletics to the Corps of Cadets. The colors are maroon and white, and the mascot is Reveille VIII, a full-blooded collie.

Before you hop in the moving truck, you should know that moving to Texas A&M during the last two weeks of August can get pretty hectic. During this time, thousands of students are trying to get moved and settled in to their dorm rooms and apartments in time for the first day of school. If you want to avoid a headache and possibly save yourself (or your parents) some money, then read the three tips below and take notes! Your first college lesson is about to begin.

Tip #1: Avoid the last two weeks of August.

Since dorms open on the 15th, and classes start on the 31st, you can bet that the College Station U-Haul center will be busy! If you’re able to avoid these dates, and move in closer to the beginning of the month, then you can enjoy the calm before the storm. This option is most feasible for someone moving into an apartment near campus with the option to begin your lease on the first. If you are moving into the dorms and simply must wait until they open on the 15th, consider pushing your official move back until the first weekend in September. This is a viable option if you are coming from a place nearby. Simply bring the essentials for the first two weeks of school, and then return later with the moving truck for your furniture and larger items. This may seem inconvenient, but it may cut the cost of your move by as much as half, so it’s certainly something to consider. Additionally, moving during the week (if possible) can save you money, because this is also an off-peak time.

Tip #2: Choose an alternate destination.

If you are coming from outside the city of College Station and you were planning to drop off your truck rental in College Station, you should consider a neighboring location. During the peak college move in season, moving centers are bombarded once students from all over who are moving to College Station all return their equipment within the city. When you book your one-way move to Texas A & M, choose a nearby city to return to, like Conroe. If you live north of Dallas, you can consider driving to College Station, unloading, and then returning in Dallas instead of going all the way back to your hometown. While this may seem like a lot of time of time to go out of the way, when you compare the money you could save, it may certainly be worth it.

Tip #3: Make it a round-trip.

If are moving to College Station from your hometown, you’re probably planning to rent in that city, and return the truck in College Station after you empty it at the dorm. Just like the scenario above, you can save significantly by returning your truck where you picked it up (your hometown). The extra cost of fuel you’ll have for this round-trip option is likely negligible compared to the lower rental quote you’ll receive. Check it out by getting a quote from the rental company to compare.